Acute toxicity and primary irritancy of alkylalkanolamines

The acute handling hazards of several alkylalkanolamines were determined by investigating their potential acute toxicity and primary irritancy. Materials studied were N-methylethanolamine (MEA), N,N,-dimethylethanolamine (DMEA), N,N,-dimethylisopropanolamine (DMIPA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), and tert-butyldiethanolamine (BDEA). All these alkylalkanolamines were of comparable acute peroral toxicity in the rat (LD(50) range 1.48-2.83 ml/kg). By 24 h occluded epicutaneous contact in the rabbit, MEA, DMEA and DMIPA were of moderate acute percutaneous toxicity (LD(50) range 1.13-2.0 ml/kg), MDEA was of slight acute percutaneous toxicity (LD(50) male 9.85 ml/kg, female 10.90 ml/kg), and BDEA of intermediate toxicity (LD(50) 6.4 ml/kg). Due to differences in vapor pressure the acute vapor exposure toxicity of the alkylalkanolamines to rats varied; MEA, MDEA and BDEA were of a low order of acute toxicity, and DMIPA was moderately toxic with an LT(50) of 3.2 h for a saturated vapor atmosphere exposure. A 4 h-LC(50) (rat combined sex) of 1461 ppm was determined for DMEA. All alkylalkanolamines studied, except MDEA, were moderately to markedly irritating and caused variable degrees of skin corrosivity; MDEA caused only transient minor skin irritation. In accord with the skin irritancy results, the eye irritancy from 0.005 ml MEA, DMEA, DMIPA and BDEA was severe, and that from MDEA was slight. Exposure to these compounds has implications for occupational health procedures.